Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've hit 29 weeks! Which is FABULOUS! Not only is Abby better off in than out, but that also means I'm that much closer to having this child! It's really a catch-22!!

I decided that I have had enough of bedrest so Mom and I went to Wired & Fired to paint some pottery for Abigail. It's a compromise, really: I get to be out of the house for a bit, but you have to sit down to do the painting. So Mom thought it'd be okay....here's our finished products!!!! (my pig really is painted pink, although it's VERY light pink so you won't be able to tell well until it's fired.)

i am LOVING outback's curbside service right now!!!

in other news:

thought this would be a good haloween costume for me this year....

had a great dr appt today!! i'm still holding steady at 3 cm, even though i've had about a bazillion contractions since friday! so i'm really happy about that! abigail sounds and looks great! again, happy about that! my dr did up my meds to every 4 hours instead of every 6, which is kinda upsetting, but hey, what are ya gonna do!?

i lost 2 lbs again...not sure how that's happening but it's the 2nd time i've lost 2 lbs between appts in a row. now my net weight gain is 8 lbs. not fabulous, but my drs aren't too worried yet. if i lose again at my appt next wednesday, then they may start worrying. the thing is, all i eat is junk food! how am i not gaining anything?! wierd...

after my dr appt i went to lunch with robert, bernie, laura, nick, roberta, and marty. it was SOOOOOOOOOOO nice to be out in public, feeling like a part of society again! but now i'm back in my "solitary confinement" (as some people call it) until next wednesday!

laura came over last night a cut my hair --- which felt SOOO nice! i owe her big time!!! maybe i'll put a pic up later...or you can check the video site if you're really that interested.

YAY for a good day! now it's off to sleep, since i got none last night!

28 weeks today!!!! if i can get through 2 more weeks, we're good to go!!!!

Erin brought the kids over tonight and Amber & Ava painted my belly. It was pretty funny. Here's the video:



Erin, being the awesome Suzy-Q Homemaker that she is, also made a FANTASTIC pumpkin pie from scratch...from a real pumpkin! NOT a can! It was great!! Here are other pictures of our night together:

One thing I’d grab if my house were on fire: pictures, definitely
One thing I wish I could throw away: some past memories
One thing I’ll never, ever throw away: pictures of Abigail's ultrasounds
Something I lost and still miss: my first baby
Something I’ve kept since childhood: a few dr seuss books
A food item I never run out of: ginger ale
A household brand I’m very loyal to: suave
Something I sleep with every night: 2 pillows (and my husband!)
One thing that’s on my wish list: to get off of bedrest
Something I take with me wherever I go: phenergan and/or pepto bismol
Something that makes me smile when I see it: my baby's picture
Something my children fight over: don't have to deal with that yet
Something I hate to clean: anything that needs to be cleaned, really
Something I show off when people visit: Abigail's pictures
Something I hide when people visit: my laundry
Something I’m embarrassed to admit I like: can't think of anything embarrassing...
Something I collect: dr seuss books
Something I avoid at all costs: throwing up
Something that reminds me of my mother: books
Something that reminds me of my father: not going there
The best gift I’ve ever received: the love of my husband

everyone needs to listen to this (CLICK HERE)....it is FREAKIN' HILARIOUS!!! it's a clip from a morning radio show somewhere....trust me, it's funny!

so i just got home from the doctor. it was a good visit. no change: still holding steady at 3 cm. which is better than being dialated more!! she did "modify" my bedrest a bit: i am now allowed to go fix stuff for myself in the kitchen a little, which is always nice! and i can walk around the house a little more than before, but i still pretty much have to stay mostly down.

mom let me go to THQ for lunch today, which was AWESOME! i ate with the guys that are recording Sing Praise. it KILLS me to not be doing it....but there ya go. it was really nice to be with other people, even if just for a short amount of time.

when i got home, my fetal doppler was waiting for me on my doorstep!!!!!! i am so freakin' excited about it!!! i've been playing with it for about an hour now! i'm trying to get a good recording on my computer. that way, maybe i can figure out how to put a sound file on this blog then everyone can hear my baby's heartbeat!! (for those of you who don't care, sorry. this is my life right now! you'll just have to get over it!)

anyway, there it is! (have any of you seen AMADEUS? the movie about mozart? the king guy said "there it is" all the time in that movie....i've kinda taken to saying it now...wierd...)

it's sunday and i wish i were at church. not being able to go KILLS me! but it's all for my baby, right?! (kinda ironic if you think about it....who would have ever thought you'd say "i can't go to church for my child?")

anyway, so far things are okay. the medicine i have to take every 6 hours makes my heart race and makes me shake pretty bad...especially when i eat. but i guess after having zero exercise, any kind of work my body does will make my heart work overtime. so that's great fun!

abigail has been moving quite a bit, which makes me happy. the only real breakdown i've had since i've been home was on friday night when i hadn't felt her in a really long time. i finally felt her and i just lost it completely. i think it's just nerves, really.

i'm really excited about getting my fetal doppler in the next few days! mom rented me one from storkradio.com so we can check in on her whenever we need to. it's the same doppler that my doctor's office uses, so i am really excited about that! once i get it in the mail, i'll try to put her heartbeat up on here for all y'all to hear! :-)

other than that, things are okay. i'm not going stir crazy...yet!! i'm looking forward to my "outing" tomorrow when i get to go to the doctor!!! that'll be a couple hours of "freedom" for me! and hopefully there will be no cervical changes to speak of!!!

until then, here's to laying on my back for 24 hours straight!!!

alright! so here's the story:

tuesday night i started bleeding out of nowhere while at dinner. i called the nurse line and she said it was probably nothing to worry about but if i was still anxious in the morning, to come on in. of course i was anxious so i called. i went to the dr's office and sat for over 2 hours while they tried to fit me in. once i finally got checked by the dr, i was told i was 3 cm dialated and needed to be rushed to labor & delivery. (commence jill's freak out here.) i was taken over to L&D and hooked up to 2 monitors and an iv - just in case abigial decided to make her appearance. i was also started on steroids to help her lungs mature rather quickly.

up to this point, i had not been having contractions. this was a positive sign. until 1:15 this morning when i went into labor, having contractions every 3 minutes. it was here i was given 2 shots of some medication i can never remember the name of to stop the contractions. when the dr came to check me this morning, i was still 3 cm, which was good. i hadn't progressed any further dialation even with being thrown into labor. the dr said that if by my 2nd steroid shot at 1pm i still hadn't dialated more, they would send me home on complete bedrest. so when i got my 2nd shot of the steriods for abby's lungs, the dr checked me again and i was only 2 cm!! not sure how that happened, but i'll take it!!!

now i am home and on complete bedrest until abigail is born. this could be anytime now, but we are hoping for at least 30 wks gestation. i'll be 27 wks on saturday, so it's not that far. when i was admitted to L&D i was given an ultrasound to check abby and she weighed in at 2lbs5oz which is really good. even if i deliver her now, she will be fine. she'll have to stay in the NICU for a while but she will make it, barring any unforseen circumstances.

thank you to all who have prayed for me over the past couple days. i have gotten so many calls and emails letting me and robert know of your thoughts and prayers. they are working! my dialation is going backwards and my labor stopped!! that's amazing! so thank you!!!

now i just have to come up with what i am going to do for the next few weeks/months while i am at home alone. i'm not allowed to do anything but be in bed, go to the bathroom, and shower. nothing else. any ideas are VERY welcome!!!!!!!!

it's 2:56am and i'm awake.

this is a much too common occurance now-a-days.

AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

i got new fish yesterday. i didn't know that angel fish could be in a freshwater tank, but lo and behold, i got 'em!! i also got another betta as my other one didn't last the move from one room to the other. it's amazing how fickle they are!

in other news, i got a full-time temporary job at the corps today! the receptionist who was there quit and they asked if i would come fill in until abigail is born. i can honestly say that i never thought i'd be excited to be a receptionist, but i am just so bored and tired of being alone all day! this will be good. so wednesday (after recordings for sing praise are over) i will be the new corps receptionist. WOO HOOO! (yes this meant i had to call the 2 families i was working extremely part time for, but this, i feel, is more important and better for me at this point in time!)

here's to god looking out for us!!!!!

i'm gorging myself at the moment...seriously, i cant get enough!

tonight, in accordance with my "celebrate birthdays/anniversaries over a whole month (or at least a week) tradition", robert and i went to Roy's for dinner. it was this really nice "hawaiian fusion cuisine" that was REALLY good! we told them that it was our anniversary so they brought my dessert (creme brulee) out like this! robert had a molten chocolate lava cake thing that looked really good, but since abigail has pretty much made it impossible for me to eat chocolate, i had to settle for just smelling it! and it smelled GOOD!

anyway, our anniversary week/month celebrations are now over and it's back to normal life.

that's how i like it!

we went to the Atlanta Opera last night as our anniversary present to ourselves. it was PHENOMENAL!! we saw Turandot, which is the opera with "Nessun Dorma" in it. i've been to several musicals at the Fox before, but this was my first real opera. it was absolutely amazing! we had the best time!! i love getting all dressed up for a good night out every once in a while. and what made this time even more special was that i found a dress that didn't make me look like a cow! you would never know my dress wasn't a maternity dress! (but i won't tell you what size it was....!!!)

anyway, if you ever get the chance to go to the opera, GO!

so today my stroller and pack-n-play came in the mail!! of course that means i have to set them up and play with them! the pack-n-play has a detachable bassinet in it and also has a changing table. the stroller folds up so small (which is one of the main reasons i picked that one) and my car seat fits into it!

i'm so excited!! the time is getting closer and closer!!

check out www.wheresgeorge.com and find out where your money has been! it's kinda cool if you get bored....

my belly is changing. now, i know that seems like an obvious statement, but literally it changed overnight!! when i went to bed last night, i wasn't quite as "popped" as i was when i woke up! i seem to be somewhat more round. here's a look:



















and i can no longer see my feet:















we have been getting our room ready for abigail the past few days. living with mom, we only have limited space in which the 3 of us can live! so lots of organization is needed! but we are definitely moving into the "getting ready to bring her home" phase of this pregnancy! it's really strange, but exciting as the same time!! here's my favorite part of our organization so far:














alright. i'll get off the baby stuff for now! i'm off to bed!!!

so i am pretty pissed at the moment! the guy that won my auction on eBay for my jeep.....yeah, he's a jerk! i got an email from him after the auction ended saying that he couldn't buy the jeep because of some "emergency" that he needed the money for instead. i was under the understanding that when you win an auction with eBay, it is a legal and binding contract. so i went on eBay's live help section to ask them what to do and technically I can take this guy to court! now, i won't do that. but i am pretty livid right now. so now we are back to square 1 with the car. but on the bright side, this means i get to drive it a little longer....:-)

where do such stupid people come from???

so today has been a wierd day. i felt good most of the day...until i got home. then i started having wierd feelings in my stomach. not quite sick, but not feeling real great, either!

i went to the dr today. had a good check-up! i have gained 7 lbs since my last appt, so my dr is really happy! they are saying i am right on track to gain 25lbs total. that would be good! abigail is doing well. she's already being hard-headed: she ALWAYS hides when the dr looks for her heartbeat. well, today she did a great job of hiding. it literally took 6 minutes for the dr to find her!! she said, "uh, jill, do you think you could get your daughter to be still long enough for me to find her?!?"
i am just thinging to myself, "self, it's starting already!! you're gonna have your hands full!!" but all in all it was a good appt.

we start childbirth classes on monday. that should be fun. every monday night for the next 3 weeks we'll be learning how to breathe, what exercises to do, how to lay, when to call the dr, when NOT to call the dr, what robert can do to help me and NOT get killed (or at least severely hurt!), how to relax (ha! that would be good for me in labor or not!), what pain medications are available and which are good, and so much more!! all for the bargain price of $100. i'm excited. and scared. and nervous. should be interesting.

i went to an interview today and got a job. a part-time job. a VERY part-time job. keeping 2 boys (2 & 4) on thursdays. the family lives 3 miles away from me. that's nice. i've been looking for a job since TMI...do you know how hard it is to get something when you're pregnant?! it's pretty hard!

the jeep is selling. i cried. that's all i have to say about that.

i am working on a HUGE project that i am hoping will work. it's bigger than anything i have ever done in my life! i am praying that this is something the lord is opening doors for, but the leg work on it is crazy! if i can pull it off, i'll be able to do exactly what i want where i want. but it'll be a while before it happens. that's a prayer request to add to your list.

alright. i'm exhausted. i need to go sleep. that's one the that i don't do well anymore. not that i ever did. but especially now. sleep is a rare commodity. but before i go, i'll leave you with a picture of the AWESOME crib bedding set that aunt erin bought for abigail the other day...(thank you aunt erin!!!!)

married for 2 years today! now a baby on the way!
wow. who'd'a thunk?!?

happy anniversary, honey!!














10 things i've learned from 2 years of marriage:

1. i've learned to be silly together. don't be afraid to sing stupid songs you sang as a kid even though your husband is looking at you like you have lost your mind. it makes for great road trips!

2. i've learned that going into your wedding day, there are lots of experiences that both of you bring to the table that make up who you are individually. you have a choice on what to make of the experiences that your spouse had as well as the ones you had. are they completely in the past? if so, leave them there. (trust me, it's harder said than done!)

3. i've learned that conflict can be good. even though i really hate it.

4. i've learned that no matter what happens in your day to day lives, it's ALWAYS better with your spouse.

5. i've learned that i take up way more of the bed than i ever thought i did!

6. i've learned that my husband doesn't need as much much of the bed as he says he does!!

7. i've learned that it's possible to trust my husbands words and actions of love as a true, honest expression of his love for me.

8. i've learned that laughing together and "wrastling" can make a bad day a million times better!

9. i've learned that the simple times of laying in the hammock or talking on the bed make for fabulous conversations.

10. i've learned that even though i am wild and crazy at times, my husband loves me all the more for it. or in spite of it. whichever, i'm loved!!!

it is a sad, sad day in the snelson household. click here to see why.

Got this from my sister-in-law. Thought it was funny...and true!

What do you expect from such simple creatures?


Your last name stays put.

The garage is all yours.

Wedding plans take care of themselves.

Chocolate is just another snack.

You can be President.

You can never be pregnant.

You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.

You can wear NO shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell you the truth.

The world is your urinal.

You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one
is just too icky.

You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay.

Wrinkles add character.

Graying hair adds attraction.

Wedding dress~$5000. Tux rental~$100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.

The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.

New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.

One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

You know stuff about tanks.

A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.

You can open all your own jars.

You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.

Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.

You almost never have strap problems in public.

You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.

Everything on your face stays its original color.

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.

You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life.

Your belly usually hides your big hips.

One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons.

You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.

You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.

You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25
minutes.

No wonder men are happier. Send this to the women who can handle it and
to the men who will enjoy reading it.

i used to be skinny.

one year ago today.

now abigail is coming!

2 things that are scaring me today

(but even though they are scary, i am very grateful to have them both! they have both been gifts!)

we're home!!! it was a crazy busy weekend! the conference was really good...especially for a first time of doing it ever! i worked my tail off which resulted in an eventful friday evening for robert and me. just suffice it to say that it was probably the most emotional i have been up to this point in my pregnancy. it wasn't pretty! but other than that, things went well. but i'm happy to be home.

the ride back was probably the most enjoyable of the weekend. 1 caravan of 4 cars. car 1 = marty and evelyn. car 2 = lex and amy. car 3 = bernie and darryl. car 4 = me and robert. each car had a walkie-talkie radio. we play trivial pursuit games the ENTIRE way home! it was hysterical! it made the 6+ hours trip seem much shorter!!! so thanks guys!!!!

alright. i'm out. i've got a car seat to figure out and a home to find for TONS of baby clothes!

this week has been filled with family and friends that we haven't seen in a while! it started out with going to augusta so see robert's dad in the hospital. turns out that he got a good report and will be going home tomorrow. after augusta, we came down to jacksonville to see my grandmother, but took a detour through waycross to see jonathan, amanda, and amelia. here are pictures from that stop. (amanda, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the clothes!!)

we've been with manamana (my grandmother) today and will leave to go to keystone tomorrow for this conference. it's been a nice week to relax.

here is the most recent picture of my ever-expanding belly:


it's so wierd to think that i'm only a week and a half away from my 3rd trimester! i've been saying all along that i'm ready for abigail to come....but now i'm getting a little nervous!! she's been moving a lot --- last night she decided to have her own disco party as soon as i laid down for bed and proceeded to literally dance the night away! lovely. it is at those times that i have to remind myself that she doesn't know that she's keeping mommy up! (or does she...??) :-)

erin, i miss you!!!!!!

any of you ever sold a house? and of you ever rented a house that you are selling out to people? if you haven't, just a word of advice: DON'T! if you have, then you know my pain!

stupid people.

so we're back in augusta. robert's mom called friday night and said that his dad was taken to the hospital for high potassium levels. he had a whole crazy slew of tests done yesterday and hopefully we'll get some results on those today. but seeing as it's sunday, it's not guaranteed. so we're not completely sure how long we'll be here. but whatever it is, prayers would be appreciated.

in other news, i LOVE this picture from amanda's site and had to steal it. i miss both of them!!!

mom got her master's degree from psychological studies institute on monday!! so here she is with her bachelor's and master's degrees!!! we are so proud!!!!

We went to the Braves game with Erin and the whole Sellers/Johnson clan today! It was great! We had great seats -- in the shade -- and it wasn't so blazing hot! Plus, we won! That always makes it great!

Click Here for the most hilarious eBay auction possibly ever!!

it's no secret that i LOVE dr. suess books. i've never come across one of his books that i didn't like. i originally wanted to do my baby's nursery in dr. suess and have a whole suess library ready for when she is born. my favorite book (BY FAR) is "Oh The Places You'll Go!" but today i received in the mail a completely different kind of suess book: "Oh Baby, The Places You'll Go!" a book to be read in-utero. now, usually i am not sappy like this, but when i got this book and read it, both my mother and i were completely in tears!

it's still sinking in that this is happening. my life is completely inundated with baby stuff - whether i want it to be or not! between the physical symptoms (indigestion, lack of sleep, utter exhaustion, etc) and then the other stuff that other people bring into play (wanting to know everything that's going on, wanting to touch my belly and feel her move, etc), i am literally in baby world! it's just still strange to me that this is happening to ME, not one of my friends. MY child will be here in about 4 months and MY world will be rocked with sounds of crying, dirty diapers, and sleepless nights. (well, that's already the case!) but i am overwhelmed with the idea that i am about to be a mother and that i will soon be holding my baby girl. it blows my mind!

anyway, here's the cover of the book:

Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid

ONE
Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets.
'We don't have half dozen nuggets,' said the teenager at the counter. 'You don't?' I replied.
'We only have six, nine, or twelve,' was the reply.
'So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?' 'That's right.' So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets

TWO
I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those 'dividers' that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the 'divider', looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, 'Do you know how much this is?' I said to her 'I've changed my mind, I don't think I'll buy that today.' She said 'OK,' and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.

THREE
A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM 'thingy.'

FOUR
I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. 'Do you need some help?' I asked. She replied, 'I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?' 'Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?' I asked. 'No, just this remote thingy,' she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, 'Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk.' (she had no clue either!)

FIVE
Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, 'I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?' 'Just use copier machine paper,' the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five 'blank' copies.

SIX
I was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in 'Twister.' I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the 'cruise control' and then went in the back to make a sandwich.

SEVEN
My neighbor works in the operations department in the central office of a large bank. Employees in the field call him when they have problems with their computers. One night he got a call from a woman in one of the branch banks who had this question: 'I've got smoke coming from the back of my terminal. Do you guys have a fire downtown?'

EIGHT
Police in Radnor , Pa. interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine. The message 'He's lying' was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the 'lie detector' was working, the suspect confessed.

NINE
A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and it should be fine.The mother says, 'Okay, but, I just gave him some ant killer..... ' Dispatcher: 'Rush him in to emergency room!'

Here she is! I was completely shocked that she is a girl!! I was convinced that she was a boy! But I was wrong! And I couldn't be happier!!!

Alright, so I have gotten BLASTED for not adding anything else about the appointment yesterday except for that she's a girl! So here we go:

Everything is great! My doctor is very pleased with how she looks as well as how I look and am doing. I have only gained 7 lbs to date. (I didn't gain anything between my last 2 appts.) My blood levels are good. The baby is doing great. She is weighing in at 1lb 6oz. During the ultrasound, she didn't move a lot -- she just sat there kinda balled and scrunched up. She had her arms crossed over her chest but was more than happy to show us that she's a girl! (go figure....)

I hope that helps everyone!

Bible Conference was good. But I am glad to be home! Got to spend some time with some people that I miss terribly (Amanda!) and got to see some other people that I haven't seen in a while. Also, quality time with JoJo is never a bad thing! It was crazy hot up there, which really got to me. Until Friday night I was staying with mom at a bed and breakfast which did not have air conditioning. I had a hard time with that. My feet swelled like mad in the heat!!!

Being with Territorial Band was, as always, great fun! Got to spend some time with Jamie and Wendy which was nice. And of course, the Barrington's always bring tons of fun! I had Anthony, Ella, and Talitha all weekend which was a BLAST! I took them gem mining which was hilarious! There's nothing like watching a 9 and 5 year old think that they have struck it rich! And really, who am I to burst that bubble?!?

Andrew was dedicated while we were there. I cried. I know, I'm so sappy. But I couldn't help it. It was a nice private ceremony and I felt so honored to have been invited. Pictures of that will follow. Like a complete idiot, I forgot to bring my camera so I have to wait for Erin to email me pics.

Tomorrow we go to the doctor to find out if we are having a boy or girl. I absolutely can't wait! The baby has been moving a lot and is getting so much stronger. I feel the kicks much more clearly than ever and it's easier for other people to feel now, too. I can't wait to see!!!!!!!!

Enjoy the pics from last week!

i was reading around on the internet and came across this chick who has the most hilarious site i've seen in a long time! i thought this was quite true (and funny):

Once I started “showing” a little baby belly, there were certain things, such as downing a pitcher of beer, skateboarding and pole vaulting, that I decided to stop doing in public.

You see, many people view that belly as a way to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. I don’t know how many times I walked into a coffee shop only for them to ask me if I wanted my drink “decaf.”

Uh, no. If I wanted my drink without the “good stuff” in it, I would have told you so. Also, why are you looking at me strange? What? You don’t allow cigar smoking inside Starbucks? Okay, fine.

All kidding aside, it really chaps my hide when I see people telling a pregnant woman what to do. Even better is when the advice is coming from someone who has never been pregnant.

I know that the 16-year-old making my mocha thinks that all caffeine is bad, but it isn’t. That is because she hasn’t studied up on what is okay during pregnancy.

Instead, she listens to what she has heard and assumes that any woman that dare drink a cup of joe that isn’t decaf is going to have a five-headed baby.

Even if the baby does have five heads, I’ll make sure to teach those heads not to give unsolicited advice to pregnant women.

so here we are at 19 weeks. we went to register at Babies R Us today and I was completely wierded out! Robert was more comfortable and okay with it than I was. I've registered with Erin 3 times now but doing it for myself was just too wierd. it's becoming really real. this is for real. and i'm almost half way done. crazy. (sarah -- thanks for the shirt!!! LOVE IT!)














so after our "registering fun" i decided i needed to relax a bit so i got stuff to set my fish tank back up. amber will be so happy!!!

Spent the day with Erin and the kids today. It was great!!! Here are a few pictures...

Leavens Family Reunion

Faour Family Reunion

hello all.

yes, it's been a while. and to the "anonymous" comment: yes, i am okay. just very busy! i just got back into town after nearly 3 weeks gone. tmi and 2 family reunions will do that. (pictures later.)

we spent the first family reunion in chattanooga with robert's family. that was good fun. a GREAT pool in the backyard always makes get-togethers more enjoyable! especially when there's 114 people in one house!!! (literally 114. no exaggeration there!)

then it was off to camp tomahawk for me to go to my side of the family's reunion. robert had a trip to costa rica for work already scheduled so he couldn't go. it was nice to be with my family...again, with a pool! but even with that, a week with them is tiring! i was ready to come home. we did a day trip to DC where i almost passed out from walking in the unbelieveable heat. the next day everyone went to philly. i opted to stay home with my cousins who are 2 1/2 years and 8 months old. that was great fun.

at some point in all of this i have started feeling the baby kicking for real. no more of this "fluttering" stuff. it's actual kicks! very cool! and, much to robert's dismay, mom felt the baby first!!!

speaking of, i have my ultrasound on aug. 28 to find out what we are having. i know (some of) you are waiting with baited breath!

amanda -- EXCELLENT picture! it totally made my day! i miss you like mad! i SOOOO wish you were here!

alright. it's off to bed for me. i'll post pictures of my past few weeks later.

7 years ago today. it was hard flying home...

night.

so it's almost time to go home! this week has gone by pretty quickly. for the most part it's been really good. i love being able to come out here and catch up with good friends i only get to see a few times a year. i didn't play in a band this year -- the baby wouldn't allow it! "he's" really hardly allowing for anything much in this heat! yesterday i ended up having to spend the entire day in bed b/c of being (basically) over heated and exhausted! it's the hills that kill me!!! i am singing in TMI chorus - which has been interesting to say the least. i ended up doing a solo with the territorial songsters that went very well, i must say. especially with the fact that (1) i learned the song the night before i got up to sing it and (2) i almost passed out at the beginning of the concert! so i was pleased.

i started feeling the baby kick this week. that has been incredible! monday night was the first time i felt it: just like someone was tickling me under my skin! and since then, "he's" been going nuts!!! "he" either really likes it or really hates it when i sing, cause that's when i feel him most!

i got through Harry Potter in about 3 days. which, considering i've had classes most of the time, isn't bad!!!!! i was surprised at some of it! but over all i thought it was excellent! robert is insanely jealous that i got through it first. bless his heart!

i'm coming home monday. robert is driving the truck back and will be home tuesday. then we have to haul tail to get our house emptied of our furniture b/c we got an offer on it. they want to rent for 2 months then buy...hopefully they actually will buy it. but even if they don't, we're getting 2 months off our mortgage and it will still be on the market while they are renting. so no time lost there.

alright. sleepy time for me. i think that's about all i can say for right now. have a fabulous weekend!!!

so i haven't been on here in a while. it's been REALLY busy around here getting ready for TMI. by the time i get home, i'm absolutely wasted and ready to go to bed! i was under the impression that when you hit your 2nd trimester the fatigue went away. well, it's not happening yet!!! oh well.

i've gotten a lot of baby presents this week. it's so wierd to be the one getting presents for a baby. i'm used to being the one buying the baby stuff!!! among my favorites are the best baby bathtub that i wanted and 3 "official" atlanta braves outfits to choose from as the coming home outfit. i'm so excited about that. they were very unexpected!!!

for those of you who are wondering, "belly" pictures will be back up soon. i haven't been able to get a good one lately. not sure why. but i'm working on it! i know some of you want to see....i keep getting emails! :-)

well, i'm off to TMI. can't wait! it still blows my mind that i actually like it now that i'm on staff. craziness.....

i spent the afternoon and evening at erin's helping out with the baby and girls...baby mostly. the plan was to take the girls out to dinner and let them play a little at an indoor park but that plan didn't work out. the girls wanted to play with nina and papa - so i helped out with andrew. amber and i gave him his first bath at home, which was great! he peed on me...and everything else around him! he did NOT like being bathed. he screamed the entire time!!! but it was great!!!

it's awesome to have godchildren!!!

MY PRAYER

Christ In Me (words: Colin Fairclough)

Christ of Glory, Prince of Peace
Let Thy life in mine increase
Though I live may it be shown
'Tis Thy life and not my own
Dwell within that men may see
Christ in me, Christ the living Christ in me

Answer now my soul's desire
Purge my heart with Holy fire
Soothe the hurt with gentle balm
Breathe within my life Thy charm
Fill me now so shall there be
Christ in me, Christ the Holy Christ in me

Gracious Lord, Thy grace apply
Both to save and sanctify
All my life wilt Thou control
Calmly ordering the whole
That the world may ever see
Christ in me, Christ and only Christ in me

Happy Birthday, Andrew!!!

i got a call at 2:45am from erin saying it was time to head to the hospital! so i rolled out of bed, threw some clothes on, brushed my teeth and rushed to emory eastside. took me 28 minutes to get there. her labors are usually fast and i was afraid i wasn't going to make it. i got there and she hadn't even started contracting, but because her water had broken at 2:30, it was go time! she got her epidural and 4 1/2 hrs later, ANDREW ARTHUR JOHNSON SELLERS was born! 7lbs 10.5oz, 20 inches long.

i must say that being pregnant myself, watching this birth up close and personal gave me a COMPLETELY different perpective! all i could think was, "oh my -- how am i going to do this in 5 months?!?!?"

anyway, he's beautiful and they are all doing well!!!

Finish the sentences.

I am listening to...
My next-door neighbor mow his lawn

I talk..
With my emotions

I love...
My husband

My best friend(s)...
Is about to have my 3rd godchild

My first real kiss…
Was not that great

I've lost...
A certain amount of trust in people

Love is...
Very special when it’s real

Marriage is...
An anchor in my life

Somewhere, someone...
knows me for me…and loves me anyway

I'll always be...
Apprehensive around certain people

I have a secret crush on...
Mellow Mushroom cheese calzones

The last time I cried was...
This afternoon

My cell phone...
is extremely overused

When I wake up in the morning...
I hit Robert…and snooze

Before I go to sleep tonight...
I’ll tell my husband I love him

Right now I am thinking about...
Too many things to put here

Words can be...
Extraordinarily helpful and loving but also extraordinarily hurtful

I get on myspace to...
Honestly, I’m not sure why I get on myspace. I’m contemplating shutting all these things down.

Today I...
Had a rough day.

Tonight I will...
Rest

Tomorrow I will...
Clean out my mother’s garage with her and my husband

I really want...
To understand a lot of things about life

The person who means most to me in the world right now...
Is laying with me on my hammock. And it’s wonderful.